Space 3
Coil 9:50:34 PM Josie: I knooooow. And mine is substantially less dumb than yours. 9:51:23 PM Josie: Sluglark was explaining that she'll likely take on more of Lark's traits over time, which is beneficial from an evolutionary perspective. 9:51:36 PM Josie: You're about four hours from your destination, a space station more or less in the middle of nowhere. 9:54:56 PM Josie: You've had about four hours of sleep. 9:55:42 PM Josie: Now you have two possible new crew members--Sluglark and Lou, a felinoid human-augment. You spaced the body of the scariest of the prisoners, though his coffin is still on board. 9:56:00 PM Josie: And Vir is up to his elbows in the innards of the final prisoner, an android woman. 9:57:08 PM Coil: ((Oh, and you should just pick whatever element for Coil seems right.)) 9:59:34 PM Josie: Still think it's water, but that's just me. 9:59:48 PM Coil: ((leavin' up to you!)) 10:02:01 PM Josie: ((hmm. Well I'll think about it.)) 10:02:14 PM Josie: Sluglark: Er... if you're here, and your crew is here, who's flying the ship? 10:02:57 PM Coil: We're on autopilot. 10:04:26 PM Josie: Sluglark: Oh, marvellous! 10:05:04 PM Josie: Sluglark: I suppose I ought to say "Marvellous, Captain," or perhaps, "Marvellous, sir." What is the chain of command? Should I salute? Are there uniforms? 10:07:04 PM Coil: No, no uniforms. Though you'll need a change of clothes. The uniform you're wearing is too conspicuous. 10:08:20 PM Josie: Sluglark: Is it? 10:08:53 PM Josie: She peers at it, and then starts taking it off. She gets the uniform top stuck on her head. "... oh dear." 10:09:39 PM Coil: ... not right now. 10:09:51 PM Coil: Coil rubs his eyes. 10:10:54 PM Josie: Interestingly, the wound that killed Lark has healed up; there's only a scar there now. 10:11:06 PM Josie: Lark: This is much harder than it looks! 10:11:21 PM Josie: She tries to get the shirt off her head. 10:13:51 PM Coil: Wait, don't... 10:14:21 PM Coil: I don't have any clothes for you right now. 10:14:26 PM Josie: Lark: It's stuck. There must be some sort of trick to it... 10:14:27 PM Coil: Just leave those on. 10:14:43 PM Josie: Lark: Well, if they're that conspicuous I can simply go without! It isn't that cold in here. 10:15:06 PM Coil: That would be even *more* conspicuous. 10:15:10 PM Coil: ...how can you not know that? 10:17:03 PM Josie: Lark: I don't know. Er. It seems to be stuck. 10:17:14 PM Josie: Her shirt is wrapped around her face. 10:17:37 PM Josie: (And yes, she is wearing an undershirt and a bra underneath there, so this is not cheesecake. You'll know when there's cheesecake.) 10:17:54 PM Josie: She seems to have tied her arm to her head somehow. 10:18:09 PM Coil: Coil sighs, and goes to help her. 10:19:10 PM Josie: It's pretty easily done. Does he put the shirt back *on* her or take it off? 10:19:23 PM Coil: He helps her put it back. 10:20:07 PM Josie: It's also worth noting that Lark has some tattoos on her arms. They look military. 10:21:02 PM Coil: Where'd Lark get those tattoos? 10:23:03 PM Josie: Lark: ... Station Zeta 7. Also a small city called Black Rock on a planet called "Reno," I think. She's not entirely certain about that one. 10:24:55 PM Coil: Hmm. 10:25:05 PM Coil: Just curious. 10:26:01 PM Josie: Lark: She was rather intoxicated at the time. 10:27:12 PM Coil: I see. 10:27:44 PM Josie: Lark: It's a tradition for her division. 10:28:02 PM Josie: Lark wanders over to peer at Vir's work. 10:28:43 PM Coil: ((How long till we reach teh space station, again?)) 10:30:48 PM Josie: About four hours. 10:30:54 PM Josie: You probably do need about four more hours of sleep. 10:31:15 PM Josie: ... of course, that leaves both Lou and Lark on the ship, loose. 10:31:37 PM Coil: Vir, I still need you to rig up the airlock so it looks like it was damaged and the cargo hold vented. 10:31:58 PM Coil: Robot-girl isn't going anywhere, you can work on her later. 10:32:33 PM Josie: Vir: ... yes. 10:33:02 PM Josie: He stands up, reluctantly. "I will get started. Please bring her and anything else you wish saved to some other part of the ship." 10:33:40 PM Coil: Coil nods, and drags the robo-girl to one of the spare rooms. 10:35:35 PM Josie: As he's leaving, he hears her say "Excuse me?" 10:37:28 PM Coil: ((The robot said that?)) 10:37:40 PM Josie: Yep. 10:37:50 PM Coil: ...yeah? 10:39:14 PM Josie: Android: What is this place? 10:39:35 PM Coil: You're on my ship, the Ardent. Don't you remember? 10:40:15 PM Josie: Android: I have no memory. 10:41:34 PM Coil: Well. You're on my ship. YOu've been damaged, we'll try and repair you. 10:43:31 PM Josie: Android: Damaged? 10:45:08 PM Coil: Yes. 10:45:19 PM Coil: Coil pulls her into a spare cabin. 10:45:25 PM Coil: Can you move your body at all? 10:45:51 PM Josie: Android: ... no. 10:46:15 PM Josie: Android: A self-assessment shows that my personality circuits have been damaged. 10:46:28 PM Coil: Yes. 10:46:30 PM Coil: I'm sorry. 10:47:22 PM Josie: Android: I will not be able to perform my designated functions. 10:50:45 PM Coil: ..what are those? 10:53:27 PM Josie: Android: Many relate to sex, the rest to various firearms and illegal activities. 10:54:09 PM Coil: I see. Who do you know, then? How damaged is your memory? 10:55:41 PM Josie: Android: I know no one. I have retained only my initial programming. 10:56:24 PM Coil: What is your initial programming, then? 10:56:54 PM Josie: Android: Knowledge and usage of weapons, primarily. 10:57:19 PM Josie: Her eyebrows crease ever so slightly. "I am...damaged." 10:58:15 PM Coil: You are. It's okay. We'll repair you. 10:59:16 PM Josie: Android: Why? 11:00:14 PM Coil: ...because. 11:00:27 PM Coil: Do you have a name? A designation? 11:01:06 PM Josie: Android: Because why? 11:01:34 PM Josie: Android: A9471051-39175-G245. 11:03:14 PM Coil: ...because it would be wrong to just let you die. Or cease functioning. 11:03:38 PM Josie: Android: Ethics. 11:04:02 PM Coil: Sure. 11:04:39 PM Coil: You're in this position because someone programmed you to free him. Not your fault. 11:05:18 PM Josie: Android: Sentient androids can be criminally liable. 11:06:34 PM Coil: Maybe. 11:07:21 PM Josie: Android: I was programmed to free whom? 11:08:42 PM Coil: I don't even know his name. A monster of a criminal. 11:09:46 PM Josie: Android: I have no recollection. What do you intend to do with me once I am repaired? 11:10:13 PM Coil: You're a sentient android. I thought I might invite you to join my crew. 11:12:07 PM Josie: Android: I am to be owned for a period of 10 years before becoming freed as a sentient. How many years have elapsed? 11:12:32 PM Coil: I... have no idea. i can try and find out, though. 11:13:59 PM Josie: Android: I may be your property. 11:14:51 PM Coil: ... I'll be right back. 11:15:18 PM Josie: She doesn't move. It's not entirely clear whether she can. 11:16:25 PM Coil: Coil goes to talk to Larkslug! 11:18:01 PM Josie: Larkslug has wandered into the kitchen; Lou's not there anymore, thankfully. 11:18:29 PM Josie: Lark is quietly organizing all the food in the pantry. Or de-organizing it. It's hard to tell what method she's using. 11:19:45 PM Coil: What can you tell me about the android? 11:20:15 PM Josie: Lark: The prisoner, you mean? 11:20:35 PM Coil: Yes. 11:20:36 PM Josie: Lark tilts her head on one side and starts stacking the cans of food on top of one another. 11:21:42 PM Josie: Lark: I believe she calls herself Alice. She has a long criminal history; as she was initially built to serve as a prostitute, the ethical programming was somewhat loose to begin with, and when she left indenture it seems to have all gone downhill from there. 11:22:05 PM Josie: Lark: Rather sad. I believe many of the 'droids from that production run suffered the same fate. 11:24:17 PM Coil: Her personality was destroyed. I really don't know a lot about androids, but her personality and memories have been wiped. Where does that leave her? 11:25:35 PM Josie: Lark: ... I'm not entirely certain. It might be best to consult a lawyer; I suspect she would still be held legally liable for her crimes. 11:26:10 PM Coil: That seems unfair. 11:27:17 PM Josie: Lark: It does, rather, doesn't it? 11:27:37 PM Josie: Lark: I suspect a good lawyer could make a bit of hay with that. Artificial life-forms *are* a bit better able to start over than the rest of us, are they not? 11:27:51 PM Josie: Lark: ... though I seem to have gotten a rather blank slate myself just now, haven't I? 11:29:45 PM Coil: Mmm. Haven't we all. She wasn't sure if she had been freed, or not. Thanks. 11:29:50 PM Coil: Coil heads back to the android! 11:30:06 PM Josie: Lark: Have we? You're quite welcome! Happy to help. 11:30:15 PM Josie: The sluglark starts humming as Coil departs. 11:30:28 PM Josie: The android is still lying on the bed, not having moved. 11:32:01 PM Coil: ... apparently, you called yourself Alice. You had left indenture and drifted into a life of crime. 11:33:12 PM Josie: Alice: I do not recall. 11:33:37 PM Coil: Well, your memory and personality were destroyed. 11:33:44 PM Josie: She frowns slightly, again. "I am... impaired." 11:34:11 PM Coil: Yes. 11:35:23 PM Josie: Alice: I should feel upset. 11:37:26 PM Coil: ... probably. We'll repair you. 11:38:05 PM Josie: Alice: Why? 11:39:17 PM Coil: ... it's a day for blank slates. You should get a second chance. 11:40:26 PM Josie: Alice: Very well. 11:40:33 PM Josie: Alice: ... I should feel happy. 11:41:42 PM Coil: We'll... get that fixed, too. We'll get you a new personality... thingy. 11:42:45 PM Josie: Alice: Thank you. I believe that is the appropriate response. 11:44:50 PM Coil: We have some other stuff to attend to, first, though. Can you... shut down, or go into standby, or something? 11:45:28 PM Josie: Alice: Yes. 11:45:35 PM Josie: Alice: For how long? 11:48:33 PM Coil: Five hours. 11:49:21 PM Josie: Alice nods, and closes her eyes. 11:50:38 PM Coil: Coil nods, and leaves the room, locking it behind him. 11:51:33 PM Josie: Done! What next? 11:51:54 PM Coil: He'll go check in on Vir. 11:52:53 PM Josie: Vir has moved a bunch of things around in the hold and seems to be preparing to actually open the thing to the atmosphere. 11:53:13 PM Coil: How's it going, Vir? 11:54:31 PM Josie: Vir: Quite well. I am going to open the compartment to space. We will lose a few things; only one or two are valuable, but the sacrifice must be made. 11:55:04 PM Coil: Coil nods. "And the box that the slug guy was in, will you be able to trigger the destruct on that, make it look like it went off?" 11:56:45 PM Josie: Vir: The box had no destruct mechanism. 11:57:17 PM Josie: Vir: It was simply a biological containment unit; the environmental substances inside were spent. 11:58:05 PM Coil: ... all right, then. Flush the box into space when you vent the hold. 11:58:58 PM Josie: Vir nods. "You should rest." 11:59:38 PM Coil: ...yeah, all right. 11:59:50 PM Coil: Wake me up if *anything* happens. 12:00:22 AM Josie: Vir: Yes. 12:00:40 AM Coil: Coil goes back to his quarters! 12:02:41 AM Josie: He goes to sleep! 12:03:00 AM Josie: And eventually wakes up again, as Vir's voice comes through the intercom. "We're nearly there." 12:03:17 AM Coil: Coil gets up, gets dressed! 12:04:14 AM Josie: Dressed indeed. 12:04:29 AM Coil: Then he tries to round everyone up. 12:04:46 AM | Edited 12:04:53 AM Josie: Easily done. The android is still unconscious, of course. 12:05:09 AM Josie: Vir is putting the final touches on the hold, which now looks *very* convincing. 12:05:29 AM Josie: Lou has deigned to falsify the ship's records to indicate a breach in the hold at the proper time. 12:05:54 AM Josie: And Slug is sitting upside down in the navigation chair in the cockpit. The one to the right of the captain's. 12:06:04 AM Coil: ...why are you sitting like that? 12:07:41 AM Josie: Lark: I thought it might be interesting. Your biology doesn't seem to agree with it, however! 12:08:25 AM Coil: No. I'll need you to get into your quarters now. 12:09:14 AM Josie: Lark: Oh! Very well. 12:09:25 AM Josie: She squirms over a bit and then rights herself. 12:09:37 AM Coil: Stay in there until I call you out, okay? 12:10:22 AM Josie: Lark: Very well! ... except in cases of emergency, of course. 12:11:56 AM Josie: She beams and toddles off to her room. 12:12:42 AM Josie: Vir turns up. Somehow he never looks like he's been rolling around on the floor underneath the engines, carrying heavy things or dealing with grease and mechanical parts. 12:13:09 AM Coil: Where are we at, Vir? 12:14:27 AM Josie: Vir: We're there. 12:14:44 AM Josie: The communications board bleeps. 12:14:54 AM Coil: Coil goes to answer! 12:17:01 AM Josie: Woman's Voice: Request visual. 12:17:52 AM Coil: Coil puts it on. 12:19:31 AM Josie: The image on the screen flickers, changing from the star field ahead of you to... 12:19:47 AM Josie: ...an image of Captain Lark. She's frowning. 12:20:21 AM Coil: There's been a problem. 12:20:57 AM Josie: Lark(?) leans forward. "What sort of problem?" 12:22:18 AM Coil: One of the prisoners initiated an escape attempt. In the ensuing struggle, the cargo hold was vented. Captain Lark and her prisoners were lost to the void. 12:22:21 AM Coil: ...I'm sorry. 12:23:17 AM Josie: The woman on the screen is shocked. "... what?" 12:23:43 AM Josie: Lark: You're telling me my sister is *dead*? *And* the prisoners? 12:24:28 AM Coil: Coil nods. "I'm... very sorry." 12:26:08 AM Josie: Lark: ... we'll... there'll need to be an investigation. What the hell happened? 12:27:40 AM Coil: As near as we can put together, one of the prisoners opened the coffin holding the male prisoner. I woke up to shots being fired, and the airlock vented the cargo hold into space. 12:29:15 AM Josie: Lark: .... damn it, I... all right, dock with the station and... a full investigation. We'll start an investigation. 12:29:20 AM Josie: She rubs her eyes. 12:29:49 AM Coil: Understood.